C-clamp



W. E. FRICKS Feb. 7, 1967 C- CLAMP Filed Nov. 6, 1964 FIG. 3,

a m p INVENTOR. W/LL 04M 5. FE/CKS,

HTTOZ/VEYS.

United States Patent M 3,302,944 C-CLAMP William E. Fricks, Rome, Ga., assignor of seventy-five percent to Charles L. Fricks, E. Lamar Gammage, Jr., and William W. Mandy, all of Cedartown, Ga.

Filed Nov. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 409,428 3 Claims. (Cl. 269162) This invention relates to a clamp.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clamp which will firmly grip and hold the work regardless of the position of the same between the jaws.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clamp in which the movable plunger is positively held from movement when the work is between and presses against the plunger and the adjacent jaw.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a clampwhich is simple in construction, easy to operate, and positive in action.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the clamp according to the present invention, illustrating the plunger in non-gripping position.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the assembly of FIGURE 1 turned 180, with parts in section, and illustrating the plunger in the gripping position.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the assembly of FIG- URE 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates, generally, the clamp according to the present invention, the clamp 10 including a frame 12, preferably of C- form, and having fixed fiat opposed jaws 14 and 16. Opposed elongated guides 18 project perpendicularly from one of the jaws or jaw 16, and a shaft 20 extends transversely through and is journaled in the guides 18 adjacent the complimental free ends 22 thereof, the portion of the shaft 20 between the guides 18 being provided with a pinion 24.

A plunger 26 is disposed between the guides 18 so that one end 27 thereof is adjacent the pinion 24 and the other end 28 is between the jaws 14 and 16 and adjacent the said one jaw or jaw 16. A work-engaging head 29 is on the other end 28 of the plunger 26. The plunger 26 is operatively connected to the said one jaw or jaw 16 and the guides 18 for movement toward and away from the other of the jaws or jaw 14. Specifically, the plunger 26 extends slidably through the guides 18, and circumposed about the plunger 26 is a coil spring 30 which has one of its ends bearing against opposed shoulders 31 provided on the guides 18 and which has the other of its ends bearing against a collar 32 provided on the plunger 26 inwardly of and contiguous to the said one end 25 thereof, the coil spring 30 serving to bias the end 25 of the plunger 26 toward the pinion 24.

The clamp of the present invention also includes a disc 33 which is provided with a closed slot 34 shaped to substantially semi-heart form and having a curved portion 35 and a straight portion 36, the curved portion 35 of the slot 34 having gear teeth 37 extending there- 3,302,944 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 along and the straight portion 36 serving as a stop. The disc 33 is disposed so that the portion adjacent the perimeter is between the guides 18 with its perimeter in contacting engagement with the said one end 25 and the pinion 24 in meshing engagement with the gear teeth 37 on the curved portion 35 of the slot 34.

Hand-actuable means or a handle 40 is on the shaft 20 for effecting the rotation thereof.

In operation, with the plunger 26 in the non-gripping position, the position of FIGURE 1, the handle 40 is operated so as to effect rotation of the shaft 20 in one direction, causing the pinion 24 which, at this position, is against the straight portion 36 of the slot 34 of the disc 33 and serving as a stop, is caused to travel in driving engagement along the gear teeth 37 of the curved portion 35 of the slot 34 and rotate the disc 33 to thereby effect the execution of the movement of the plunger 26 toward the other of the jaws or jaw 14 or the head 29 of the plunger 26 against the jaw 14. Operation of the handle 40 so as to effect rotation of the shaft 20 in the opposite direction, causes the pinion 24 which, at the position wherein the head 29 is substantially against the jaw 14, FIGURE 3, travels backwardly in driving engagement along the gear teeth 37 of the curved portion 35 of the slot 34 to and against the straight portion 36 of the slot 34 and rotate the disc 33 to thereby effect execution of the movement of the plunger 26 away from the other of the jaws or jaw 14 or the head 29 of the plunger 26 away from the jaw 14 and against the jaw 16 under the action of the spring means or coil spring 30.

This clamp is simple, strong and durable in construction, is highly efficient in action, commercially feasible, and may be ready and economically manufactured.

What is claimed is:

1. A clamp comprising a frame having fixed flat opposed jaws, opposed elongated guides projecting perpendicularly from one of said jaws, a shaft extending transversely through and journaled in said guides adjacent the complemental free ends thereof, a pinion on the portion of said shaft between said guides, a plunger disposed between said guides so that one end is adjacent said pinion and the other end is between said jaws and adjacent said one jaw and operatively connected to said one jaw and guides for movement toward and away from the other of said jaws, a disc provided with a closed slot shaped to substantially semi-heart form and having a curved portion and a straight portion, the curved portion of said slot having gear teeth extending therealong and the straight portion of said slot serving as a stop, said disc being disposed so that the portion adjacent the perimeter is between said guides with its perimeter in contacting engagement with said one end of said plunger and said pinion in meshing engagement with the gear teeth on the curved portion of said slot, and hand-actuable means on said shaft for effecting rotation thereof, operation of said hand-actuable means so as to effect rotation of said shaft in one direction causing said pinion to travel in driving engagment along the gear teeth on the curved portion of said slot and rotate said disc to thereby effect execution of the movement of said plunger toward the other of said jaws.

2. The clamp according to claim 1, which includes in addition a work-engaging head on the other end of said plunger.

3. The clamp according to claim 2, which includes in References Cited by the Examiner addition spring means operatively connected to said plunger and guides for biasing said one end of said UNITED STATES PATENTS plunger toward the perimeter of said disc, and wherein 2,228,904 1/1941 Bjorkman 81128 operation of hand-actuable means so as to effect rota- 5 2,365,627 12/1944 Cook 81-128 tion of said shaft in opposite directions causing said 2,576 904 11/1951 Jessen t 1, 269 249 X pinion to travel backwardly in driving engagement along 2,7 664 10 195 Morgan 2 9 24 X the gear teeth on the curved portion of said slot to and against the straight portion of said slot and rotate said WILLIAM DYER JR Primary Examiner disc to thereby efiect execution of the movement of the 10 head of said plunger away from the other of said jaws W. D. BRAY, Assistant Examiner.

under the action of said spring means. 

1. A CLAMP COMPRISING A FRAME HAVING FIXED FLAT OPPOSED JAWS, OPPOSED ELONGATED GUIDES PROJECTING PERPENDICULARLY FROM ONE OF SAID JAWS, A SHAFT EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH AND JOURNALED IN SAID GUIDES ADJACENT THE COMPLEMENTAL FREE ENDS THEREOF, A PINION ON THE PORTION OF SAID SHAFT BETWEEN SAID GUIDES, A PLUNGER DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID GUIDES SO THAT ONE END IS ADJACENT SAID PINION AND THE OTHER END IS BETWEEN SAID JAWS AND ADJACENT SAID ONE JAW AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ONE JAW AND GUIDES FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER OF SAID JAWS, A DISC PROVIDED WITH A CLOSED SLOT SHAPED TO SUBSTANTIALLY SEMI-HEART FORM AND HAVING A CURVED PORTION AND A STRAIGHT PORTION, THE CURVED PORTION OF SAID SLOT HAVING GEAR TEETH EXTENDING THEREALONG AND THE STRAIGHT PORTION OF SAID SLOT SERVING AS A STOP, SAID DISC BEING DISPOSED SO THAT THE PORTION ADJACENT THE PERIMETER IS BETWEEN SAID GUIDES WITH ITS PERIMETER IN CONTACTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ONE END OF SAID PLUNGER AND SAID PINION IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GEAR TEETH ON THE CURVED PORTION OF SAID SLOT, AND HAND-ACTUABLE MEANS ON SAID SHAFT FOR EFFECTING ROTATION THEREOF, OPERATION OF SAID HAND-ACTUABLE MEANS SO AS TO EFFECT ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT IN ONE DIRECTION CAUSING SAID PINION TO TRAVEL IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT ALONG THE GEAR TEETH ON THE CURVED PORTION OF SAID SLOT AND ROTATE SAID DISC TO THEREBY EFFECT EXECUTION OF THE MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER TOWARD THE OTHER OF SAID JAWS. 